God’s Plan | Daily Inspiration

Guest Post – Truths to Live By – One Day at a Time

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Posted on February 5, 2021 by Lisa Blair

StudyLight.org

Devotional: February 5th

“I know that Thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted.” Job 42:2 NASB)

No purpose of God can be thwarted. Man may have his wickedness, but God has His way. Man may have a lot to say, but God will have the last word. Solomon reminds us that “there is no wisdom or counsel against the Lord” (Proverbs 21:30). And Jeremiah adds his testimony that “every purpose of the Lord shall be performed” (Jeremiah 51:29).

Joseph’s brothers decided to get rid of him by selling him to a band of Midianites. But all they succeeded in doing was accomplishing the will of God. The Midianites provided free transportation for Joseph to Egypt where he rose to be Prime Minister and the savior of his people.

When the man who was born blind received his sight and trusted the Savior, the Jews excommunicated him from the synagogue. Was it a great victory for them? No, Jesus would have led him out anyway because the Good Shepherd “calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out” (John 10:3 NASB). So they merely saved Jesus the effort of doing it.

Men’s wickedness reached its Everest when they took the Lord Jesus and, nailing Him to a cross, put Him to death. But Peter reminded them that He was delivered up by “the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23). God overruled man’s gargantuan crime by raising Christ up to be Lord and Savior.

Donald Gray Barnhouse told the story of a wealthy landowner who had beautiful trees on his estate. “But he had a bitter enemy who said, ‘I will cut down one of his trees; that will hurt him.’ In the dark of the night the enemy slipped over the fence and went to the most beautiful of the trees, and with saws and axes he began to work. In the first light of morning he saw in the distance two men coming over the hill on horseback, and recognized one of them as the owner of the estate. Hurriedly he pushed the wedges out and let the tree fall; but one of the branches caught him and pinned him to the ground, injuring him so badly that he died. Before he died, he screeched out, ‘Well, I have cut down your beautiful tree,’ and the estate owner looked at him with pity and said, “This is the architect I have brought with me. We had planned to build a house, and it was necessary to cut down one tree to make room for the house; and it is the one you have been working at all night.'”

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God’s Promises Shape Our Lives #1

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Posted on September 24, 2020 by Lisa Blair

God’s promises give us HOPE in a cold world.
~ Lisa Blair

This is the first of a series of posts about God’s promises. His promises give us the STRENGTH to stand in the face of any and all attacks. He provides us with the ability to STAND in the face of all evil. Our FAITH in God always brings us through. There are times when we can see Him working in our lives and times when He is working to protect us against situations unbeknownst to us. Take time to examine your past, and you will see God at work in your life.

One of my friends added this to her daily prayers, “Teach me, Lord, to trust you.” It sounds easy and should be easy, especially for those who read and study the Bible and know God’s promises. But the fact is, most of us know something of His promises but think we can activate them on our own as needed. The truth is, God never promised us anything He will not deliver, but it is deliverable in His terms and time, not ours. Once we acquaint ourselves with His promises, we can rely on them in time of need, replacing our greed for faith in God to bring us through.

Friends, allow God to lead you and guide you in how to face your challenges. His promises will help you to see your challenges more clearly, as well as the opportunities that are presented. Reside in His peace. Go to God in prayer boldly standing upon His promises. Rest assured knowing that He hears you and will fulfill them in due time.

Isaiah 26:3

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because, he trusts in you.”

We receive peace with God in Christ, through the blood He shed on Calvary. Peace is the fruit of our faith. Peace is profound. It is expressed as peace with God and peace with men, peace outward and peace inward, peace here and peace in the hereafter, and denotes the abundant peace available to all believers. (Biblestudytools.com)

If you trust in the Lord, you will be steady, able to stand when under attack, knowing God is with you and provides perfect peace as you go through trials and temptations. You are not alone. God is your eternal rock. God’s peace anchors you so you will not thoughtlessly seek resolve in moments of anxiety, fear, and confusion. His peace allows you to spend time with Him in prayer, centered on Him and not the things happening around you. Once you are ina peaceful state, He can lead you in the direction He mapped out for you.

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I think toward you, declares the Lord, plans of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

The prophet Jeremiah instructed the Israelites to stop believing in false visionaries. There are so many contending that they know what is happening in the world today, exhorting we are entering the End Times, and who is not a man of God. We look to these leaders to determine our direction, purpose, allegiance, and livelihood. The truth is – only God knows the plans He has for us. When we seek others, we create idols that slowly replace God. When this happens, we slowly fall into the hands of the evil one.

We can take comfort in Jeremiah 29:11, God’s promise of having a plan for us gives us peace in knowing that we are not floating aimlessly in the sea, but can see the light ahead confirming His presence in our lives. Believing God’s promises give us the courage to work through difficult times with hope.

Our hope is planted in God’s promises. As long as we can rest in his peace, the outside world becomes less daunting. When we reside in inner peace, we can view things more objectively and recognize God’s hints and directions for our lives. If we follow them, no matter what it looks like to the world, He will provide rest, restoration, replacement, and re-energize us giving, us the fortitude to move beyond the loss, devastation, and hopelessness we may feel.

Images: LAB PHOTOS, free google images

References: Biblegateway.org, Charles Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV, Biblestudytools.com, biblehub.com, Bibleletterbible.com

GOD’S INVISIBLE QUALITIES

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Posted on April 2, 2020 by Lisa Blair

God’s invisible qualities are present in our life.
~ Lisa Blair

Contrary to popular belief, too many of us, Christians, are blind to the invisible world God created for us. We do not see the pure wonderment of his Workmanship. The Arabic version says that His properties are invisible to us because they can only be known through the eternal power and Godhead. When we are aligned with the Father, and the Holy Spirit dwells in us, the beauty and magnificence of the world are revealed to us. We begin to see the light of nature that His people have enjoyed since the beginning of time.

We begin to see the unity in all things and start to understand that nature, man, and all of the things of this earth are one, created by the Great Creator. Our passion for God’s presence is present in all things. The revelation of his Supremacy becomes visible through the invisible realm of His creation.

If nothing else, this should turn us from our wicked ways, fall to our knees vowing obedience and dependence upon Him who created us and leave our heathen/worldly lifestyles behind.

I have a Christian friend who shared that he had fallen away from the Lord. It was a slow tug back into his old life and was awakened when he was struck with an illness and taken to ER. His words are – ‘always stay alert,’ stay in the spirit, and see the invisible workmanship of the Lord, humble yourself to His way, His will, and His light.

Acts 1:8, KJV reads:

“But ye shall receive power, after that, the Holy Ghost comes upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

In this scripture, power (dynamai) refers to strength, the force of power behind supernatural events, i.e., the creation of the earth and all that is in it; the power of Jesus to work miracles because He is God. The power is seen in the crucifixion of Christ.

As believer’s, we are called to witness to those who are blind and destined to live in what they see, the sins of this world. ‘Paul teachers that every man, that has known God or not has rejected this knowledge of God and replaced it with idolatrous thoughts of another of their own making.(one passion ministries)’ As witnesses, we must share the invisible workmanship and wonderment of God’s world, both supernatural and natural, they are gifts from God and His sacrifice made to open our eyes.

Romans 1:20 NLT (Tyndale House) reads:

²⁰From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.

God’s invisible qualities are visible to those who believe. We have no excuses for falling short of denying ourselves and sharing the Good News. Paul warned that God is not pleased with His followers who fall subject to their worldly sorrows, do not repent, and once again pick up their cross. We should do all we can to stay in God’s good graces. Do not look back to salvage your blinders. We have no excuses.

Images – YouVersion.Bible.com.Roger Coles; Google Images

References: Romans 1:20, YouVersion.Bible.com; Romans 1:20. BibleStudytools.com; Romans, 1:20,21 Commentary, preceptaustin.org; Romans 1:20. KJV Word Study Bible. Nelson Thompson Publishers; No Excuse – Romans 1:19-23. Onepassionministries.org

Refer to my Post – We Are the Light

Also, visit my website, My journey as a blogger began in 2017.

Rely On God To Fight Our Battles

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Posted on July 1, 2019 by Lisa Blair

Military commanders strategize before going into battle. The Lord is our Commander in Chief. He created the map of our life before we were born. Your strategy begins with going to God in prayer.
~ Lisa Blair

Military commanders strategize before going into battle. The Lord is our Commander In Chief. He created the map of our lives before we were born. Your strategy, for your best life, begins with going to God in prayer.

God created us to establish a bond between us, to engender a relationship. His love for us is more than anything we can imagine. He offers love, power, wisdom, knowledge, direction and instruction. If we allow Him, He will fight our battles.

Stillness is one of the most important conductivity points between God and us. We become still in prayer. The Bible is replete with information insisting that we become still, and quiet so the Lord can do His work. Let’s learn to still ourselves. This is a journey, practice every day. Sometimes removing the chaos that invades the quiet is difficult. I always feel these are the most critical times because Satan is trying to keep me from hearing what God is sharing with me (generally a pivotal moment), so I work harder to remove the noise. What about you?

Note: Some of my time spent with God is conversational, similar to that with a parent, at other times it is instructional and has broad implications.

Read my posts on youngchristianwarriors.com

Anger, Sin, and Stress, 6-27-19

Be Still, 6-7-19

Be Still and Know Me, 11-1-18

Be Strong In The Lord Today, 9-12-18

Broken? The Lord Is With You, 5-7-18

Change Your Filter, Hear His Voice, 2-22-18

Christopher Robbin, Winnie The Pooh, and Overcoming Our Carnal Nature, 11-26-18

Commanded to Follow and Be Free, 1-19-18

Free Yourself From The Shackles, 4-16-19

God, Crisis, and Grace, 12-13-18

God’s Command, Be Still, 9-6-18

Hear, Listen, Understand the Word of God, 1-16-19

It’s Our Journey, Our Gift, 7-10-18

Jesus is Our Lifeline, 3-7-18

Listen, Then Act, 11-30-18

This is a short list of posts written over the last 2.5 years.

Be Still, Experience Silence

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Posted on June 17, 2019 by Lisa Blair

If we cannot silence our thoughts, we cannot hear God. He won’t compete for our attention.
~Lisa Blair

Our lives are busy, we run to and fro trying not to miss a step. Our minds race, we never experience being still. One of my earlier posts shared that we can either learn to be still or as I once told my employees and students, we can suffer mandatory volunteerism. God gave me multiple opportunities but I did not take Him seriously. I gave one excuse after another. Finally, like any good Father, He took command and placed me in time out. He centered me in a place to be still, retirement, and told me to be still and listen to His quiet, still, voice.

God cannot lead us if we don’t take time to listen and converse with Him. He cannot converse with us if our minds don’t shutdown and release the static. You know, this type of static.

Stillness is the platform for establishing our relationship with our Lord. The scripture Psalm 46:10 reads, ‘Be Still and know that I am God’. There it is plan and simple, yet, so difficult to comprehend in a world were silence no longer exists.

This poem shares the concept of silence and how impactful conversations with God are on our lives.

Kickstart A Conversation With God. YouVersion. Bible.com

Take time everyday for the next two weeks and learn to converse with God. Listen to what He has to say about your life and the steps that will lead you down your destiny pathway. You will be renewed and no longer bound by self-talk, social media, and purposeless thoughts. You will experience love greater than you can imagine, peace greater that you thought possible, and a sense of who you are in Christ.